Winemaking

Winemaking

"As winegrowers, we are limited by the quality of the raw materials we have and WillaKenzie Estate is capable of producing astounding wines."

-Erik Kramer, Winemaker

We strive to understand our estate down to the level of each individual block so that we can craft wines which capture the distinctive qualities of the soil, slope and plant from which they come. Small-lot fermentations, along with gentle handling of the grapes via our gravity flow winery and gentle punch down process enable minimal disruption to the expression of the grape.

Erik Kramer

WillaKenzie Estate Winemaker

Erik’s path to WillaKenzie began with a with a deep, personal vision to craft some of Oregon’s best and most exciting Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.

A scientist by training, Kramer worked as a hydrogeologist in the petrochemical industry before realizing he could apply his precision and passion for balance to a subject he was more personally enthusiastic about: wine.

Erik worked a few harvest seasons as a cellar worker in Washington before pursuing a postgraduate diploma in viticulture & oenology at Lincoln University in New Zealand. After graduating with honors, Kramer crafted wines in New Zealand before discovering his calling in Oregon’s Willamette Valley—where he could continue to focus on cool-climate winemaking.

Kramer joined WillaKenzie Estate in January of 2017, bringing over thirteen years of Willamette Valley winemaking experience to the winery. In his previous roles at Domaine Serene and Adelsheim Vineyard, Erik has built a reputation for highly-acclaimed, terroir-driven wines with finesse and balance.

This is a dream job for me", says Kramer. "WillaKenzie Estate is one of the most unique, diverse and historic properties in all of the Willamette Valley. Pinot Noir so clearly represents its sense of place and WillaKenzie Estate offers so many fascinating expressions of the varietal. It’s both exciting and humbling to work with an Estate that is capable of producing such a broad array of amazing, site-specific wines.